The castle of Sibirana, located in the municipality of Uncastillo in the province of Zaragoza, was built in a small valley in the course of the Sibirana ravine. Its purpose was to control the pass from Uncastillo and Luesia that allows access to the Onsella river valley, and through this river, to Sos and Sangüesa, the Aragón river valley. The castle sits right on the road, making it possible to block the path if necessary.
The castle is part of a line of fortifications built between 905 and 925. However, some records suggest that King Sancho Garcés I of Pamplona conquered a previous Islamic tower in 921, which had been owned by the Banu Qasi since 891, and built the current castle over it. The site is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural by the Government of Aragon.
Each of the two towers has a square plan of 4 meters wide. The village of Sibirana was eventually abandoned, likely between the 17th and 18th centuries, due to its remote location, harsh climate, and difficulty for agriculture. Despite the abandonment, baptism records from Petilla de Aragón show the place was still inhabited at the end of the 18th century.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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